International relations in 1919: Who was to blame for the Cold War? Flashcards
(24 cards)
What were some of the clashes between ideologies in the USA and the USSR? (4)
- Capitalist/communist
- Democratic/dictatorship
- Wealthiest in the world but with extremes/economic superpower, the general standard of living was lower, but unemployment and extreme poverty were rare
- Being free of control is more important than equality among all/rights of individuals less important than the good of society as a whole
When was the Yalta Conference and who was there?
- February 1945
- Stalin (USSR), Roosevelt (USA), Churchill (Britain)
What were some gains for the West at the Yalta Conference? (4)
- Stalin agreed to join the war against Japan after Germany was defeated
- All would join Roosevelt’s United Nations organisation, which aimed to maintain peace
- Germany would be divided into 4 zones: French, British, American, and Soviet
- Countries liberated from German occupation would hold free elections to decide their government
What were some gains for the Soviet Union at the Yalta Conference? (4)
- The USSR could keep their territory in Poland
- German war criminals would be handed over and executed for genocide
- Stalin secured the veto power for the UN Security Council
- Eastern Europe would be seen as a ‘Soviet sphere of influence’
What disagreements were there at the Yalta Conference? (5)
- Stalin wanted to push the USSR border eastwards into Poland
- Poland could then push into East Germany
- R and C didn’t want to, as the Red Army already virtually controlled Poland and East Germany
- Didn’t want to risk war
- C convinced R to accept as long as Stalin didn’t interfere in Greece (Britain resisting communist takeover)
When was the Potsdam Conference?
July 1945, started on the 17th
What were the changes at the Potsdam Conference since the Yalta Conference? (4)
- Stalin’s armies occupied most of Eastern Europe. They had liberated some countries from German occupation but left their troops there, and they set up a Communist government in Poland
- Roosevelt died on the 12th of April 1945, and he was replaced by Truman, who was more anticommunist and suspicious of Stalin
- There were elections in Britain, and halfway through the Conference, Churchill was replaced by Clement Attlee
- The US had successfully tested a new atomic bomb on the 16th of July, at a desert site, and Truman informed Stalin about it at the beginning of the Conference
What were the disagreements at the Potsdam Conference? (4)
- Stalin wanted to incapacitate Germany to protect against future wars, Truman didn’t want a repeat of the Treaty of Versailles
- Truman was unhappy with the previous agreement to allow pro-Soviet governments in Eastern Europe, and he adopted a ‘get tough’ attitude with Stalin
- Stalin wanted an extra 10% of machinery from Western Germany, but Truman refused
- Stalin wanted a share of the occupation of Japan, but Truman refused, as he had the atomic bomb, which he wanted to use as a bargaining chip
What was the ‘Iron Curtain speech’?
A speech delivered by Winston Churchill in March 1946 in Missouri USA, where he claimed there was an ‘iron curtain’ dividing Europe
Which countries were in Cominform? (8)
- Czechoslovakia
- Hungary
- East Germany
- Poland
- Romania
- Bulgaria
- Albania
- France and Italy’s Communist parties
Which Eastern European country was expelled from Cominform?
Yugoslavia, Marshal Tito led wartime resistance against the Nazis, he was elected President in 1945 but wanted to implement Communism his own way. He was expelled from Cominform in 1948
What was George Kennan’s ‘Long Telegram’?
In 1946, said Soviets didn’t want to live peacefully with the Americans and wanted to destroy their way of living, suggested they should become more hostile with the USSR
What happened in Greece?
- There were two groups after Germany retreated, monarchists (wanted the return of the king of Greece) and communists (wanted a Soviet Republic)
- Churchill sent British troops in 1945 to ‘supervise elections’ and ‘maintain peace’
- Instead supported monarchists and the king returned
- In 1946, the USSR complained to the UN that British troops were a threat to peace, UN did nothing
- Communists tried to take over by force
- The British announced they were retreating on 24 February, 1947, as the costs were too high
- Truman stepped in and paid to keep the British troops there; they supported the king
- Monarchists were in control of Greece by 1950, though their government was weak
What did Greece cause?
- Truman Doctrine, 1947: all countries had to choose between democracy and dictatorship, and the USA would support any country wanting to resist Communist takeover
- The USA would send money, equipment and advice
- Truman accepted Eastern Europe was Communist, his new aim was to stop it from spreading: this policy was known as Containment
What was the Marshall Plan?
- Truman believed Communism was successful when people experienced extreme poverty and hardship
- Sent George Marshall to evaluate economic state of Europe
- Marshall suggested $17 billion would be needed to rebuild Europe
- Truman put the plan to Congress in December 1947, they refused and Americans started to grow concerned about his involvement in foreign affairs
What issues did George Marshall find regarding the economic state of Europe? (5)
- War debt, Europe owed $11.5 billion to America
- Homeless people and refugees
- Extreme shortage of food/clothing, most countries still rationing bread
- Fuel shortage, massive coal shortage in the winter of 1947, meant electricity had to be shut off for a period of time each day in Britain
- Cost of rebuilding buildings and homes due to massive damage to infrastructure
What caused the Marshall Plan to be accepted?
- Communists took over the Czechoslovakian government in March 1948, and anti-Soviet leaders were purged
- A pro-American minister was found dead under an open window. Communists said he’d jumped, Americans suspected he was pushed
- Congress immediately accepted the Marshall Plan and made $17 billion available over four years
Was the Marshall Plan good or bad?
Good
- Extremely generous act
Bad:
- Motivated by self interest
- USA wanted a market for American goods
- Many in the government argued it should only be given to states who accepted democracy and free markets
- USA wanted an ‘Open Door’ among countries with no trade tariffs to stop US companies
What was Stalin’s response to the Marshall Aid?
- Believed the USA was trying to weaken his hold on Eastern Europe and trying to dominate states by making them dependent on dollars
- Forbade Eastern European countries from applying for aid
- Set up Cominform and Comecon
Why did the Berlin Blockade occur?
- Distrust was at an all-time high by 1948, war was finally a threat
- Both sides were increasing their weapons stock and often denounced the other’s policies and plans
- Germany was divided into 4. The West had combined their zones into ‘West Germany’; Berlin was also divided into 4, but was deep inside Soviet Germany
- USA’s original plan ‘Morgenhaus Plan’, was to deindustrialise and turn Germany into an agricultural country
- Truman decided Germany would be a useful ally, and it was clear the Germans would starve if the economy wasn’t given time to recover
- Stalin wanted to prove he would fight if necessary
- In June 1948, he blocked supply lines to Berlin
- The USA couldn’t ram roadblocks or railway blocks without it being seen as an act of war
How did the USA respond to the Berlin Blockade?
- Didn’t want to retreat as they didn’t want Germany to fall to Communism
- Truman ordered that all supplies be flown in by aircraft
- The USSR couldn’t shoot them down without it being an act of war
- Berlin received supplies from aircraft for 10 months
- Stalin removed the blockade in May 1949
What were the consequences of the Berlin Blockade? (3)
- Proved the West was determined to resist Stalin
- Massive propaganda victory for the West
- Symbol for Western freedom
What is NATO?
Western Powers met in Washington DC and signed an agreement to protect one another if attacked, a new organisation formed in April 1949
What was the Warsaw Pact?
Defensive alliance including the USSR and communist states, set up by Khrushchev in 1955 after West Germany was allowed to join NATO in 1955
